Worse than McDonald's

I happened to be visiting my family in Australia a couple of years ago when my youngest sister gave birth to my latest niece, and I was relieved to hear that she declined the hospital's offer of the placenta to consume or take away. This was what came to mind when I read the BBC News report "Breast milk ice cream goes on sale in Covent Garden" a few days ago. I immediately emailed it to myself as something I might like to read again, and perhaps blog on.

"Breast milk ice cream goes on sale in Covent Garden" tells us about Baby Gaga ice-cream, which is now available from a London restaurant. The desserts distinction is that it's made from fresh human milk, which is provided by women such Victoria Hiley, who welcome the £15 per 10 oz of fresh milk she provides to the restaurant. It's the idea of icecreamist Matt O'Conner, who, whilst admitting that some people think "Yuck", insists that "actually it's pure organic, free-range and totally natural" (¶ 8).

First, I have to admit that I'm one of those people whose first reaction was "yuck". It didn't sound as disgusting as eating the placenta, which has apparently become something of a fad in Australia at least, but it certainly didn't appeal to me as something I want to rush out and try, although I'm not sure that Häagen-Dazs or any of my usual ice cream shops are about to start offering it. But when I thought about it a bit more, I wondered about my own reaction - I did, after all, live on breast milk for the first few months of my life. I don't remember the details, but I'm pretty sure that my mother breast fed me for at least a few months. And of course, some of foods that I enjoy seem disgusting to others; for example, not all Thai people love the mouldy old blue cheeses that are a regular part of my diet, and although I've tried them, the deep fried grass hoppers that are readily available on the streets around my home do not excite me either, but just like fresh human milk, these foods are all nutritious, natural and perfectly safe to eat. The different feelings towards these foods are only a result of growing up in cultures with different customs, and are not obviously right or wrong, or better or worse habits than any other food custom. But I still don't want to try Baby Gaga.

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References

Breast milk ice cream goes on sale in Covent Garden. (2011, February 24). BBC News. Retrieved March 2, 2011 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12569011